Life Positive Paintings

BECAUSE WE CELEBRATE...

These paintings were created using semen and acrylics. Just over 4 oz. of semen was used per painting. The red spots on the Scorpion and Biohazard painting are HIV Positive semen and the gold spots on the Red Ribbon painting are HIV Positive. The scorpion, biohazard symbol and red ribbon are common tattoo iconography used by positive gay men in recognition of their status.

I sometimes become contemplative when spending time with friends who are HIV Positive. We’ll be in a store, a restaurant, a movie theatre. My friends like me; are just "regular" people going through their day like everyone else. I often wonder what the grocery checker or bagger would think if they new my friends were positive. What if people in restaurants knew my friends were positive? What if the people they went to church with knew they were positive? These paintings were created, as reminders that we all come in contact with people every day who are HIV Positive and we just don’t know it. Unlike the 70's, 80's and early 90's, being HIV Positive is no longer a life ending proposition. Today, people are living positive, long, healthy lives. They also serve as a reminder of the importance of getting tested and for all of us to know our status.

Life Positive Paintings

BECAUSE WE CELEBRATE...

These paintings were created using semen and acrylics. Just over 4 oz. of semen was used per painting. The red spots on the Scorpion and Biohazard painting are HIV Positive semen and the gold spots on the Red Ribbon painting are HIV Positive. The scorpion, biohazard symbol and red ribbon are common tattoo iconography used by positive gay men in recognition of their status.

I sometimes become contemplative when spending time with friends who are HIV Positive. We’ll be in a store, a restaurant, a movie theatre. My friends like me; are just "regular" people going through their day like everyone else. I often wonder what the grocery checker or bagger would think if they new my friends were positive. What if people in restaurants knew my friends were positive? What if the people they went to church with knew they were positive? These paintings were created, as reminders that we all come in contact with people every day who are HIV Positive and we just don’t know it. Unlike the 70's, 80's and early 90's, being HIV Positive is no longer a life ending proposition. Today, people are living positive, long, healthy lives. They also serve as a reminder of the importance of getting tested and for all of us to know our status.